- Legislative Reading List

If hubris could be sold “by the bottle”, there aren’t enough people in China to match even a fraction of the production of the New Jersey legislature, and local government officials. Never before in human history has there been such a collection of scoundrels, liars, cheats, thieves, grifters, scam artists and would be felons, who have felt so entitled to take what they like from the state and local governments, and make no apologies for it. And even on the rare occasion that someone acts so brazenly that we manage to convict them of something, they even find a way to turn a profit on that.

The new “must read” book of the New Jersey Legislature is this staggeringly arrogant tome by ex New Jersey politician Gerald Luongo, “Surviving Federal Prison Camp: An informative and helpful guide for prospective assemblymen inmates.” Luongo was among the batch of dimmer bulbs who failed to slip past the federal prosecutors during the illustrious McGreevey administration which I wrote about here. He was convicted of mail fraud, tax fraud, and corruption in 2002, and was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison as part of a plea bargain which got him off on another 4 or 5 counts of something or other.



Prior to his entry into the highly respected world of New Jersey politics, Luongo scammed people on a much smaller scale as a member of the NJEA, the New Jersey teachers union that works hand in glove to control the Democratic party. And since his conviction an action has been brought to take away his teaching certificate, and thus limit his pension. In the action Luongo and his attorney’s repeatedly argued that he felt he was an excellent role model for children. Some world huh?

Personally I think it would serve the people of New Jersey well to give a copy of a Luongo’s book to every incoming freshmen member of the State assembly, so they can prepare now for their future. Then again, since they are in the New Jersey state assembly, maybe they can just go steal one.